Exploring University EFL students' Readiness for Learner Autonomy: A Quantitative Approach

Abstract

The past few decades have seen a growing recognition of the importance of assuming responsibility for one's learning. Indeed, there is an emerging consensus that the university model needs to equip learners with the necessary skills that will set them up for taking control over their learning and therefore compete in this world of dynamism. However, in the local context, scant attention has been given to how autonomy is perceived and how ready students are to assume it. The present paper seeks to fill this gap by investigating university students' perceived level of readiness for autonomy in their learning. Accordingly, 107 students majoring in English completed questionnaires at a university. The items of the questionnaire were arranged on a five-point Likert-scale continuum. Students were non-randomly selected and voluntarily completed all the items of the questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS software. Findings of the study indicated that the majority of EFL students appear to be ready to be autonomous in their learning. The highest percentage pertaining to the levels of agreement responses was manifested in the students' tendency to set their own learning goals. Moreover, the Independent-samples t-test showed that there were no statistically significant differences between males and females. Some recommendations for EFL teachers were also discussed.